Pokémon: Shadows
by Pokessassin
Summary: Life, as we know it, has changed. When Pokémon emerge into the real world through mysterious rifts in the sky, 14 year-old Dean Regan must find out why, flee from the mysterious Acquisition, and just maybe, with the help of Arceus, save the world. *REBOOT*
**Hello, everyone!**

 **So, if anyone reading this has read (and hopefully enjoyed) any of my previous FanFiction, welcome back! Good to have you here. This, as you might've gathered, is sort of a reboot of my Pokémon: Shadows series. It's going to be way better though. I swear.**

 **And to anyone new, hello! I hope you'll like this. Ignore the above paragraph.**

 **Disclaimer – Pokémon is not mine. I do not own it. I do not want it. I would make a bit of a hash out of it, in all likelihood.**

* * *

The Hall of Origin

Outside

* * *

" _What is he thinking?!_ "

Zapdos' feathers sprayed sparks like a faucet as he beat his wings in indignation. Along with the rest of the legends deemed unimportant, he waited outside the enormous, imposing doors of Arceus's Chamber of Judgement.

At his words, there was a murmur of general ascension from the crowd of legendary Pokémon.

" _None of us know,_ " Entei called out in his gravelly voice, stepping forward from the throng. " _But the Abomination is insane. The only reason it should be released is to watch it burn."_

The Three Legendary Golems, Regirock, Registeel and Regice, whirred and bleeped in agreement. They usually chose to dwell in the Hoenn region of the world below, but as with all legends, they had gathered to watch what could be Arceus' greatest mistake. Their master, Regigas, stood silent and solemn behind them. It had said nothing for the last millennia, and even for moments such as these, it didn't plan on changing that.

" _We must wait,"_ Suicune replied, speaking quietly. _"It is not for us to question Him. Arceus is no fool."_

 _"Ha!"_ Zapdos crowed, giving another flap of his wings that sent thin streaks of lightning at Suicune's feet. _"We shall see about that."_

" _Yes,"_ Suicune replied softly, inclining her head. _"I do believe so."_

* * *

The Hall of Origin

Inside

* * *

Arceus' blazing eyes opened, and he knew it was done.

He looked around his Chamber of Judgement, a room now lit only by the glowing runes carved into the massive circular seal on the ground.

" _It is accomplished,_ " said Palkia from Arceus' left, her telepathic voice strained and weary.

" _It is time,_ " Dialga said from his right, struggling to stand.

Around the room, the ritual had taken its toll on all of the legendary Pokémon present. Kyurem's knees had buckled altogether, and the gems embedded in Xerneas's horns were flickering weakly. Opening the seal that Arceus had devised all those years ago was no easy task.

" _Father,_ " Dialga spoke. " _Are you sure this is wise?_ "

" _Do not fear,_ " Arceus said distractedly, not taking his eyes off of the seal as its arcane mechanism slowly unlocked. " _The ritual did not affect me so. I am ready for whatever may come._ "

" _Oh, well, that's comforting,_ " called Zekrom from below the pedestal atop which Arceus stood.

" _Be silent,_ " Arceus told him, taking a step back as the low hum of the seal's inner workings began to slow and die down. " _Your farce is at an end, Zekrom. My son is home._ "

The seal was silent. And then, the legendaries stopped talking.

The massive, circular trapdoor opened with a deafening _creak,_ and, held aloft by an invisible force, rose into the air. Beneath it was a pool of seething, writhing black flame – a portal to the Torn World.

And moments later, something huge and dark and terrible came flying out of it, screeching a cry that had not been heard by any living ear for millennia.

Giratina, the Renegade, changing to its Altered Forme even as it emerged from the portal, hung in the air, observing the crowd with ferocious, burning eyes.

" _Hello, Father."_

Arceus stamped a foot, and instantly, the Lake Trio sprang into action. Azelf, Uxie and Mespirit, circling Giratina in the air, each let loose a stream of red energy from the crystals in their foreheads. The psychic energy moulded itself into three red chains, and they wound their way around Giratina's throat.

" _The Red Chain,_ " Giratina observed, not taking its eyes off of Arceus. " _The old ways are still the most effective, it would seem."_

Arceus ignored Giratina's words. " _My son. You have languished in the prison of the Torn World for five thousand years, now. Fifteen-thousand years, to temper your rage. Five thousand years of penance for your crimes. This was your sentence."_

" _Oh, Father, you king of fools,"_ Giratina said, and howled with telepathic laughter. The sound was like sharpened fingernails trying to shred through a blackboard, and even the titanic Pokémon gathered in the Chamber of Judgement reeled at the noise.

" _Do you repent, Giratina?"_

Slowly, Giratina stopped laughing.

" _Stand ready,"_ warned Rayquaza, coiling his long, scaly form and warily charging a Hyper Beam in his jaws. Groudon and Kyogre narrowed their eyes.

" _This is not right."_ Deoxys and Darkrai summoned Shadow Balls in their hands.

" _What a sorry bunch of misfits you've assembled to contain me, Father. Drained all too easily by the ritual, it seems. I do appreciate their efforts._ " Giratina unfurled its massive wings and the Lake Trio moved back, each of them pulling on the Red Chain. A pulse of psychic power rippled through it and Giratina gave another burst of laughter.

" _Oh, yes… Pain. It has been so long since I felt it,"_ the Renegade Pokémon declared.

Arceus knew it was no use, but again, he asked; " _Do you repent, Giratina?"_

" _No."_

Giratina rose higher into the air, and Azelf, Uxie and Mespirit were pulled up along with it. " _I am the Hunger! I am the Renegade! I am the King of the Wasteland! I do not repent!"_

Arceus hung his head. " _Very well."_ He looked around to the other legendaries. " _Do as you must."_

The surrounding Pokémon did not need to be told twice.

Rayquaza was the first, unleashing a Hyper Beam that passed right through Giratina, blasting a gaping hole in the roof of the chamber. He snarled, lurching at his enemy with blinding speed, but Giratina merely turned his head, allowing Rayquaza's attack to shatter one of the Red Chains and send Mespirit spinning away.

" _Keep him contained!"_ Zekrom yelled, coating himself in electricity and hurling himself up at Giratina in a Fusion Bolt attack. " _The chain can't be allowed to break!"_

At the same time, Reshiram launched a massive orb of fire, and the Fusion Flare expanded even further in the presence of Fusion Bolt. Giratina was not intimidated, despite the colossal sphere of flame barrelling towards it.

Just as the fire was about to wash over it, Giratina vanished, along with Uxie and Azelf, who were still tied to it by the remaining pieces of the Red Chain. Both attacks missed the mark, Zekrom flinging himself right into the path of his sister's attack and roaring in pain as the inferno send him sprawling on the ground.

" _Shadow Force!"_ Palkia called just as Giratina reappeared in a burst of black fire, ramming into Dialga and knocking him down. When Palkia lunged to assist her brother, Giratina whirled, swinging Azelf right into the path of Palkia's Hydro Pump.

The Psychic-type Pokémon was hit, and another part of the Red Chain shattered.

Arceus himself remained still. He could end this here and now, he knew – Giratina was putting on a strong show, true, but it had to have atrophied at least a small bit after fifteen-thousand years of inactivity.

But he couldn't bring himself to move. He was not afraid; his victory would be certain. But despite his insanity, despite the horror that Giratina's victory would bring…

… He was still his son.

And he had hoped, against all reason, that he would be sorry.

Giratina had shattered the final piece of the Red Chain now, thrusting Uxie into the path of Mew's Shadow Ball. Mew deflected Giratina's Dragon Claw with a Protect and ducked under a second strike, but as she dived forth to land an Ice Punch, Giratina knocked her aside with one enormous wing.

Just then, however, the massive door of the Chamber of Judgement was flung open by a burst of flame. The cavalry, Arceus observed, had arrived.

Entei was first through the breach, bounding forward wreathed in fire only to be pounded into the ground by a blow from Giratina's tail. Zygarde attempted to strike the Ghost/Dragon-type Pokémon from behind, but his attack passed through and sent Zapdos spinning out of the air.

The Chamber had descended into utter chaos. Legends were sent flying left and right, Giratina was vanishing and reappearing like a mirage, and Arceus just stood by. He could not strike his son, no matter what the consequences.

" _Father!"_ yelled Dialga, firing off a Flash Cannon that Giratina scarcely took any notice of.

" _Help us!_ "

"Please!"

Arceus moved, then – but not Giratina. He instead fired off a Hyper Beam, the orange stream of energy blowing the roof of the Chamber of Judgement clean off, the slabs of marble shattering.

Giratina stopped for a moment, looking up at the sound of the attack, and that moment of distraction was all that was needed. Groudon lunged, slamming full-force into Giratina and bringing a Dragon Claw down on the Renegade Pokémon's neck. It shrieked in pain.

Arcticuno, who had entered from the hallway, charged a Sheer Cold attack between his wings as Groudon held Giratina down. _"Do it!"_

As the attack reached full power, Giratina saw its way out. Its eyes were drawn to the seal from where it had emerged, that broiling, roaring portal to the Torn World. And Giratina, roaring, fired a Dragon Pulse at the edge of it.

The rim of the seal exploded, and the portal, like the fire it took the form of, spread.

Arceus's eyes widened. " _No._ "

Even as he watched, the gateway to the Torn World was spreading beyond the borders of the seal, consuming the walls and the floor of the Chamber of Judgement.

" _Get out!"_ yelled Ho-Oh, beating his wings in a desperate attempt to escape the black inferno. " _All of you! Now!"_

Groudon, however, had taken no notice of the portal. He was far too busy attempting to strangle Giratina, pressing all of his considerable weight down on the Pokémon's neck.

He was the first to be consumed by the fire. It latched onto his arm, and when the Continent Pokémon attempted to pull away, the fire leapt up and devoured him whole, leaving nothing behind.

Giratina stood again, triumphant, as the legends fled the Chamber. Soon, they were alone. Father and son. Creator and destroyer.

" _The Torn World will spread. It will swallow this world you hold so dear,_ " Giratina told him. " _There is nothing that can be done. You have made such a grave mistake, Father."_

" _I know,"_ Arceus said, sadly.

Then, he vanished. Reappearing behind Giratina, he launched a Psywave attack that sent the Ghost/Dragon straight out of the hole in the ceiling. Arceus bounded up into the air, not ceasing his attack, launching torrents of energy, sending his son flying this way and that.

He had to kill him this time.

Below him, the Torn World had eaten most of the Hall of Origin, spreading like wildfire. It was creeping beyond the gilded hall and consuming the very sky itself now. Mount Coronet would be next. Then, the Sinnoh region. Then, the world.

Arceus slammed Giratina with an Iron Tail as he attempted to take him by surprise with a Shadow Force. Again, he looked to the Hall of Origin. The Torn World was going down now, eating away at the summit of Mount Coronet. Arceus could hear the cries of Pokémon and people below.

" _Your choice, Father,"_ Giratina said exultantly. It hovered in front of Arceus, taunting him, but breathing hard. " _Kill me, or save them. You can only choose one. But do it quickly."_

Arceus knew immediately what he had to do. He rose into the air, white energy spreading from the plate he wore on his back. White fire, looking not unlike that of the Torn World.

" _You've doomed this world, Giratina,_ " Arceus called down. " _But you will not doom my people."_

A pulse of the energy was sent out, and another, and another, a rhythm like a heartbeat. Giratina growled. " _How desperate._ "

Arceus wasn't listening, however. His whole body had taken on the properties of the white fire – glowing, billowing energy. It was almost time. By this time, the Torn World had taken a massive gash out of Mount Coronet, destroying Spear Pillar entirely.

Giratina lunged, roaring, glowing with dark energy. Outrage.

Arceus threw his head back, and the white fire exploded outwards, and the world was gone.

* * *

 **Ta-daaa! Good to be back. I hope. Anyway. Looking forward to hearing what you guys think. Until next time!**


End file.
